Lake Winnebago is located in east-central Wisconsin, and it is the largest lake within the state. It covers over 131,939 acres and has a maximum depth of 21 feet.
The lake is known for its excellent fishing opportunities, particularly for walleye, perch, and white bass. It has several public boat launches and fishing piers, as well as several marinas and boat rental facilities.
Lake Winnebago is a popular destination for boating, water skiing, and other water sports, and it has several beaches and parks located along its shores.
The lake is surrounded by a mix of residential and commercial development, and several cities and towns are located along its shores, including Oshkosh, Fond du Lac, and Neenah. These communities offer a variety of dining, shopping, and entertainment options for visitors.
In addition to water activities, the area around Lake Winnebago offers a variety of other recreational opportunities, including hiking, biking, and golfing. The lake is located within easy driving distance of several other attractions in northeastern Wisconsin, including the EAA AirVenture Museum, the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame, and the Door County peninsula.
mike m.
Madison, WI
This is my first winter fishing Bago. Seems to me bait/lure is as important as location. Plus the schools don?t hand around long. I got 4 out of one school but usually only 1-2. Sometimes they were just lookers
jonathan h.
Neenah, WI
Nice lake, but like most in winnebago county, it's unfishable in the winter unless you have a sled or 4-wheeler.
james f.
Fond Du Lac, WI
Great quality fishing of all speicies. One of my favorite lakes to fish and be on.
jacob h.
Plymouth, WI
Caught 10 nice perch all 9" or bigger off of Pipes landing. Didn't get one after the other took some time. Crawler chunks seemed to be the favorite bait. Brother got two in a row on a kalins scrub. Thankful for this body of water, nice to see different sizes of walleyes out there.
john g.
Neenah, WI
Great fishing all year!!
alex p.
Rosendale , WI
Went out today on the east side 14 ft of water caught 9 eyes put 2 back 18-21inch and got a bonus 12lb cat! Not bad for 4 hours.
stu k.
Kiel, WI
Year in year out. Still the best Walleye lake and most other species fisheries
perry h.
Madison, WI
Great day on the pond..had to work for them. Spikes were the trick.
spencer l.
West Bend , WI
Muti species
sandra g.
Glenbeulah, WI
great
tom k.
Neenah, WI
If anyone wants cats from shore try in front of the legion on the lake
ryan s.
Omro, WI
Best walleye lake in the United States that produces all year long
louie j.
Oxford, WI
Best walleye lake in Wisconsin.Jig,troll,slip bobber lots of different tactics work on this fantastic fish factory
tom k.
Sheboygan, WI
Fished east side caught 3 jumbo perch 11inch and fat! Several other perch and white bass 11fow minnow and crawler worked. Minnow best n jig.
craig b.
Neenah, WI
Good lake once you figure it out
david k.
One of the best fishing lakes in Wisconsin
gary m.
THis lake has everything. Panfish such as bluegill, perch, and crappie seem to keep increasing. These fish also seem to taste better than anywhere else.
rick z.
One of the best walleye lakes in the world!
lady p.
Been fishing here for years and nearly always have luck. There are a lot of places to go fishing, from the lake itself to the small surrounding river/ lagoons. Whether from a boat or off the shore, panfish, perch and bass are pretty good. Caught a 8" smallmouth last time. Have fun!
jeffrey w.
One of the Best
kyle s.
Have had terrible time with this lake and any fish. Caught one nice Eye at the begining of summer right out in from of the Suplys marsh channel on a mepps but other then that no one that ive been with has caught much of anything..... Where are all these eyes you talk about? We've tried everything just cant seem to get with the program!
bob l.
nice big lake with a lot of fish in it even tho there alot of rough fish
steve m.
pretty good fishing out on a big lake
louis j.
one of the best walleye lakes in the united states.jig troll cast slip bobbers everthing worhs 50 fish days are possible.
chad m.
One of the nation's most famous walleye fisheries, but also has abundant catfish, white bass, bluegill, perch, largemouths, smallmouths and crappie. Muskie and northern are in there too, but not nearly as common. Supposedly they are being stocked, but I guess we will have to wait and see.
j b.
excellent walleye fishery, great for everything else. lots of rough fish, however the young of the year rough fish feed the game fish. no small boats on big Winnie though, She can whip up something fierce in a hurry. Zebra mussel invasion has cleared up the water, time will tell what impact they will have on the fishery.
michael j.
this lake has been getting better every year and now with muskies being stocked and saugers, fishing will only get better. get some info on whats biting and where and you will not be sad with your catch. why go up north when fishing is so good hear. ice fishing is a little slow but with saugers coming back that should change as they bite alot better in winter than the eyes. can get on some awesome fish if you can find them in winter
nic h.
caught way to many walleye to count but mmmmmm did those walleye make on great dinner
jeremy b.
best lake in the world!!
louis o.
This lake is great. My two favorite fish to target are Walleye and Perch. Where can you find better fishing for both of these? You just have to respect the lake and be safe. I highly recommend this great body of water!
b g.
I've lived on the shores of Winnebago for 34 years, and words cannot express my love for this body of water. She's like a "good old girl," calm and beautiful in the morning, rough at times, a little shallow here and there, but always there for a good time.
ross w.
we do great for walleys on this lake in the summer months we limit out quite a bit and are really getting alot of nice ones had one up to the boat last year had to be 30"+ a real big one but alot of 20-25 inchers and alot little ones but i liek to see that seems like the average size this last year was 14"-16" I have also had greta luck for perch on this lake so all around a awsome lake to fish
troy s.
Great lake and only getting better. If you know the lake, a limit of eyes is not that difficult from shore or a boat. Smallmouth fishing is getting better every year and the pike/muskies are starting to really take off. This is Wisconsin's premier fishery. One of the better walleye lakes in the country. There are big ones out there, you just have to find and target them
denis p.
I think winnebago is great lake just for its size alone.You have so many oppertunities from Menasha to Fon Du Lac,thats alot of lake,you also never know what you will have on the end of your hook.Those who fish it are very friendly and helpfull.
jayson h.
This lake is excellent for Walleye. We use minnows or leaches and jig. It usually bags us a few of them, but not without catching some sheepshead.
steve m.
The Winnebago System is really starting to produce some excellent stringers of fish. The walleye population is exceptional and the smallmouth fishery on bago is soon to be one the best in the state within the next 5 years. Panfish action is consistent all year for bluegill, crappie and perch. I have even caught several 18+ lbs. northern pike.
bruce g.
Fished Winnebago over the past twenty years and think it as a fantastic fishery. The walleyes are back in numbers this year, nothing huge mind you but great sport and great eating. Be careful with the weather as a storm can blow up quickly and Winnebago can get mighty mean. Good luck fishing.
christopher p.
I love the eye and perch fishing here
john b.
the big lake hase so much to give the sportsmen every season frome jiging to slipbobers crankbaits to trolling in the mud flats stergin spearing season bluegils pearch
andy n.
Fishing is good in really moring and late eving but during the rest of the day not that good
steve k.
This is by far one of the best overall lakes to fish in Wisconsin! There are so many different abundant species to fish for, sometimes it is difficult to decide what type of fishing to do!
jack b.
Big Bago is a great fishing lake, has all species of fish for the sport fisherman.
Walleyes are prevalent game species. Fishing for them can be frustrating if your not familiar with the lake. The lake also has lots of sheepshead, but if you find them, you find walleyes nearby.
When the water is clear, fish spook by the reefs, so fish the mud. Fish the mud from top to bottom, aggressive fish will be high. Trolling works great, fish all depths, and change colors of lures until you find what the fish want. Precision trolling is a must. You will need a good GPS and Locator to tell you what depth the fish are at, then just adjust your line length to put the lures just above the walleyes as walleyes are predators and their eyes are on the top of their heads, so they look up for food. Keep an eye on the weather as this lake can turn mean fast. When windy, try drifting over the reefs. Fish reefs at night when the water is clear. Fish shorelines also, as many times the walleyes are in the weeds.
A great lake, and many years ago I learned that if you want to be a good walleye fisherman, fish a lake that is in your backyard so that you can fish it often and learn it instead of chasing all over the countryside trying to fish all the lakes. Good Luck. Write me at JXRR@ aol if you have questions.
john a.
there is a great population of eating size walleye and with a little ingenuity you will catch a lot of fish
gabriel m.
I am 10 years old and went fishing with my dad and caught a 26 inch walleye. He weighed almost 7 lbs. I was so awesome
boll r.
The population of sheephead and carp is wonderful...great sportfish!
scott b.
This lake is a good lake if you know the lake.Theirs a good # of walleyes around reefs.Crank baits that are loud work best cause the water gets murky when it gets windy but theirs good eating walleyes in here.
steve m.
Winnebago is one of the best fisheries Wisconsin has to offer. The bass fishing has exploded within the last couple of years for both largemouth and smallmouth and continues to get better. Walleye fishing is the best that its has been in 10 years. The panfish popluation is very abundant. If you want more info or tips about The Winnebago System contact me by email at
[email protected]
fishham h.
it is a good lake for any species of fish
pat a.
There's a reason it's been called the Dead Sea.
randy d.
Post spawn fishing is best around reefs near Island Park when fish have returned to the lake. They are hungry and feed heavily on the reefs edges. Trolling with Thundersticks works best! Don't overlook the mud flats east of the island.
andy s.
It's a super lake there's a lot of fish to be caught out there,and big!!
chris f.
Fished this lake since I was little, big cats, carp, and northern. Fish the clay banks in April.
tj
I agree there is a good walleye population, but if you are not familiar with the lake your better off going to Parnells or the South Side Ice and Yacht Club for fish.
joe s.
Awesome lake!!!!!!!
trevor p.
The Lake Has Monster Walleyes, And A Good Populatin Of Whitebass!
cj
This Is A Great Body Of Water For Catching Some Trophy Sheepshead
nick s.
I Love To Catch Carp Here
avrem a.
Beautiful SUNSETS........WITHOUT The Necessary Lake Flies
nick u.
During Warm Water Conditions, When It Is Hard To Find Walleyes During Daytime Hours,Winn. Is Best.
neil d.
Winnebago Is A Good Lake To Fish On In Windy Weathe Go In The Bays When Windy Produce Sheephead
cody l.
Good Lake For Big Water Walleyes
steve w.
Excellent Ice Fishery If You Can Find Fish; Many Ruff Fish But Patients Pays Off
korey b.
It´s One Of The Best Places For Walleye Ice Fishing, And Also Good For Big Cats With Stink Bait.
rick
Sheephead Capitol Of The World
hog d.
Great For Fishing Next World Record Musky Is Going To Come From This Lake Have To Know How To Fish
mike
One Of The Best Walleye Lakes In The Country, Also Monster Perch
joe n.
Lake Is To Busy For Small Boats To Polluted To Many Junk Fish
mr.fart
This Lake Is Like A Land Fill With Water.
cd m.
Avoid Millions Of Lake Flies In Early Spring And Enjoy Great Walley Fishing All Summer Long.
dave r.
Good Walleye Lake,trolling,rocks Or In Weeds